Fashion industry luminaries and style savvy celebrities arrived at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center last night decked out in their best to attend the Oscars of the fashion world as the Council of Fashion Designers of America handed out the 2012 CFDA Awards. But that wasn’t the only cause for celebration – the event also marked the organization’s 50th anniversary.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen beat out Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Womenswear Designer of the Year for their minimally chic designs for The Row. For menswear, southerner Billy Reid edged out Patrik Ervell and Simon Spurr for the top prize with his finely tailored suits. Coach creative director Reed Krakoff won the accolades for Accessory Designer of the Year over Alexander Wang and Hernandez and McCollough.
Actress Lily Collins handed out the Swarovski Awards, which honors burgeoning designers with financial support and exposure, to Joseph Altuzarra for womenswear, Phillip Lim for menswear, and Tabitha Simmons for accessory design.
Filmmaker John Waters presented awards to two notable honorees who weren’t able to attend the glittery awards ceremony: the International Award recipient, the notoriously media-shy Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo, who was preparing for her June 29 Paris men’s show; and Fashion Icon winner Johnny Depp, who was on location filming “The Lone Ranger” in the Navajo Nation.
The undoubtedly funniest moment of the night was when Seth Meyers, the evening’s host and “Saturday Night Live” head writer and anchor, showed up on stage wearing the same revealing see-through lace Comme des Garçons dress and boxers that Jacobs wore to the Costume Institute Gala.
For those who were unable to attend the 2012 CFDA Awards in person, the entire ceremony will be replayed on style.com at noon EST today.
Click on the slide show to see photographs from the 2012 CFDA Awards. For the rest of the winners, see the list below:
WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for The Row
MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Billy Reid
ACCESSORY DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Reed Krakoff
SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR WOMENSWEAR
Joseph Altuzarra
SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR MENSWEAR
Phillip Lim
SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR ACCESSORY DESIGN
Tabitha Simmons
GEOFFREY BEENE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Tommy Hilfiger
INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons
MEDIA AWARD
Scott Schuman and Garance Doré
FOUNDERS AWARD
Andrew Rosen
FASHION ICON AWARD
Johnny Depp
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